“Lately things had not been going very well, but today we improved a little,” said Del Neri.

“We were also fortunate, seeing as our goalkeeper performed some great saves. After the derby, the squad did well to react and put real team spirit on to the field, not getting depressed after last Sunday’s defeat.

“It’s not easy for anyone to pick up points in Bergamo, as Inter and Napoli proved when losing here. The team did its duty, even though it can do even better.

“I think the lads understand the importance of this victory and will be able to give consistency to their performances in what will be a tough campaign to the very end. We have to believe in what we are doing.”

Ciro Immobile was surprisingly dropped in favour of Andrea Bertolacci.

“At the moment the team cannot support two centre-forwards, so today we had to give up on Immobile to bulk up the midfield with players who could push forward. This tactical switch shows I am not glued to the 4-4-2, as I can change depending on the situation.”

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